Hadith 1114

Aisha reported: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) began the prayer, he would say: (Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You. Blessed is Your name, and exalted is Your majesty. There is no god but You). [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud] The chain of Abu Dawud is Hasan, and its narrators are reliable. Ibn Majah also narrated it from Abu Sa'id. Al-Tirmidhi said: This hadith is only known through Harithah, and there has been criticism regarding his memory. At-Tawrishti said: This hadith is Hasan and well-known. It was followed by caliphs like Umar. The hadith is recorded in Muslim's collection from Umar. It was also followed by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and other scholars among the Companions, as well as many scholars among the Tabi'in. Abu Hanifah and others also preferred it. How can this hadith be considered weak when it has been accepted by leading scholars of hadith, such as Sufyan Ath-Thawri, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Ishaq ibn Rahwayh? Al-Tirmidhi's criticism was only regarding the specific chain he mentioned, not the hadith in general. This hadith has been narrated by prominent scholars of hadith and is found in Abu Dawud's collection with a Hasan chain, and its narrators are reliable. Thus, it is clear that Al-Tirmidhi's criticism was limited to the specific chain he mentioned, as mentioned in Al-Mirqah.